Advocates for Homeless Criticize Education Plan by Georgia Board

A proposal being considered by the Georgia Board of Education as a
way of ensuring that homeless children receive an education
"comparable" to that provided to other children could lead to
discrimination against those it is intended to protect, advocates for
the homeless have charged.

At a public hearing in Atlanta this month, several advocates harshly
criticized the board's recommendation that local boards be allowed to
develop their own policies regarding the enrollment of the
homeless.

Under the proposal, the state superintendent of schools would be
authorized to resolve disputes over such policies.

According to state officials who attended the hearing, the plan's
critics argued that granting such authority to local boards would
result in inconsistent policies across the state. The critics contended
that it would be more appropriate for the state board to issue a
single, statewide mandate.

Several opponents said that homeless students often suffer
discrimination as a result of policies implemented with helpful
intentions that effectively label such children as different.

The education department plans to hold several more hearings on the
proposal before it is submitted to the state board of education for
approval.

--pw

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